by Amy Vastine
Just hearing Ally’s name made Tag feel as if there was an arrow lodged in his heart, and every mention, every thought of Ally wedged it a little deeper. They needed to talk, and he was dreading it with every fiber of his being.
“She’s helping Iris with some of the food,” Bering supplied before Tag had to admit he didn’t know. He’d both hoped and feared that she’d show, but at hearing those words, a grateful riff of affection played inside him. Last night’s conversation had left him frustrated and despondent. He wished he could put this rally on hold until he could figure things out. He’d barely slept the night before, and as the day broke, a disconcerting feeling threatened to overwhelm him. He’d written it off as a combination of a bad mood due to what happened with Ally and nerves.
But as the day wore on, he couldn’t shake it. It was like a tidal wave was bearing down on him; he couldn’t see it, but he could feel it—the force and rage rushing toward him, ready to sweep him away. And there was nothing he could do to stop it.
The crowd was outnumbering the seating provided. Tag was looking around and wondering what to do about it when Emily materialized by his side. “Don’t worry. We’re setting up more chairs. I was kind of hoping this would happen. It makes it look like you’re even more popular than we anticipated.”
Tag shook his head. “You’re incredible. You know that?”
“Yes. But remember, I used to do this type of stuff for a living. My work with Cam-Field was a lot like organizing one campaign rally after another.”
A tinny rasp bellowed from a nearby speaker. Emily frowned in the direction of the stage. “Uh-oh. That does not sound good.” Without waiting for a response, she hustled off.
“Tag?” A voice called behind him, and he turned to find Maura, Senator Marsh’s assistant, striding toward him.
“Hi, Maura. It’s nice to see you. I didn’t know you were coming.”
She smiled. “Wouldn’t have missed it. This is fantastic. Better than I could have imagined.”
“Bering’s wife, Emily, and my sister Hannah deserve most of the credit. With the rest of my vast and industrious family providing supporting roles.”
“I can assure you that with support like this, the road you’re embarking on here is going to be a whole lot smoother. Senator Marsh wanted me to clear a point with you before he goes onstage. He’s planning to make an announcement, and I wanted to make sure—”
“There you are!” An anxious Shay appeared next to him with a grinning Laurel by her side. “Sorry to interrupt, but Kip Patton is here.”
“Are you kidding me?” a wide-eyed Maura asked.
“Who?” Tag asked at the same time.
“Kip Patton, the billionaire computer app guy,” Shay explained. “Laurel has interviewed him, and he’s a regular guest at the inn. He lives in Glacier City, and he wants to meet you.”
“Oliver Patton,” Maura explained. “Kip to his friends. He’s on your endorsement list. A contribution would be a huge bonus. Go! Go and charm his socks off.”
Oliver Patton—that name Tag recalled. Shay and Laurel set off. Tag had followed a few steps before he remembered Maura had a question, but when he turned, she was already gone. He rejoined the women, and Laurel performed the introduction.
“Hey, Tag. Thrilled to meet you.” The hand extended in his direction belonged to a tall, skinny guy wearing worn blue jeans and sneakers with a hole in one toe where a snippet of yellow-plaid sock was visible. His uncombed hair looked too long, and he had a stain on his Star Wars T-shirt. Tag wanted to ask if he was trying to cement the computer geek stereotype or if it came naturally.
“Hi, Kip. Pleasure’s mine. Thanks for coming today.”
“You bet. I believe we have a mutual friend.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah, Robert, um, Dr. Boyd? My company is working on some medical apps, and he’s applied to do consulting for us. We’ve been conducting interviews. He and Laurel both encouraged me to come today.”
They continued chatting, and Tag soon discovered that the questionable social skills portion of the computer geek stereotype did not extend to Kip Patton. Tag found they had a lot in common and he genuinely liked the guy.
Dr. Boyd joined them. “Ah, wonderful, I see you two have met.”
“We have. Thank you, Dr. Boyd.”
“I suspected you’d hit it off, with the piloting and all.”
“Tag has about a gazillion more hours than me, and he’s offered to teach me about gliders. We also share a love of basketball, and I think I might have him on that one.”
Shay laughed. “He’s not going to argue with you there. Last time he underestimated a basketball opponent, Ally took him to the cleaners.”
“Ally, your wife?” Kip asked.
“No, girlfriend,” Tag said, wondering if it could still be true.
“Ally Mowak,” Shay explained. “She’s our brilliant new hospital liaison here in Rankins.”
“Any relation to Abe Mowak?” Kip asked.
Beside him, Tag felt Dr. Boyd tense. He stole a glance and was a little startled by the expression on his face. Murderous was the word that came to mind, and every fine hair on the back of Tag’s neck stood up in agreement. Maybe Ally hadn’t been exaggerating the man’s opinion of her.
“Yes, granddaughter,” Shay answered.
“Then I’m not surprised she’s brilliant. Dr. Mowak is an awesome guy. I know him, too. We’ve been—”
Kip’s phone chimed, and he brushed a thumb across the screen. Face erupting in a smile, he lifted a hand and waved across the expanse before looking back at them.
“I’m going to have to leave you guys to it for now. My wife needs some help with our kids. We have a two-year-old and a three-month-old.”
Tag grinned, appreciating how that explained his disheveled appearance. Kip executed a quick goodbye. In the time they’d been talking, more chairs and tables had been arranged, and the people still milling around the perimeter appeared to be doing so out of choice.
Laurel had disappeared, no doubt gathering information for the story she was writing about the event for the paper. Shay looped an arm through the doctor’s and said, “We should find our seats, Dr. Boyd.”
They moved away, and seconds later Emily was stepping up on the stage. When the crowd quieted, she announced Whiskey Cake and the band began strumming a popular patriotic country tune that immediately had the crowd singing along.
The event ran like clockwork, and before he knew it, Senator Marsh was taking the stage. Tag had seen the senator speak many times and knew he was a gifted orator.
Hand raised in greeting, he said, “Thank you all again for coming out here today. As your United States senator, there’s nothing I like more than talking about how much I love the state of Alaska. Because I know how much you all love it, too.” The crowd erupted in cheers and applause.
“Once in a great, great while I meet someone who I think might love it even more than I do.” More jubilant clapping. “I know, I know, I shouldn’t say that, but it’s important to be honest about this. Ladies and gentlemen, I’m happy to say that we’re all here today to put our support behind that someone. And he is soon going to be representing your district in the state capital of Juneau…”
He went on to recite Tag’s accomplishments and qualifications, and by the time he finished, Tag almost felt worthy to represent this crowd of people he liked, admired and respected.
“And before I leave you, I have one more bit of exciting information to share. Now, I didn’t intend to surprise Tag with this today. But I received the final confirmation from my assistant, Maura, just before I stepped up here. So I thought I’d share it with you all at the same time I share it with him. What do you say?”
The audience went wild. Like the angry clouds banking in the distance, that feeling of foreboding roiled more fiercely inside Tag.
This was in addition to the already unpleasant sensations bombarding him: too-tight muscles in his neck and shoulders, jaw aching from smiling, and a tight, tension-filled chest. Campaign sickness, as he’d already begun referring to it in his mind.
Movement on the edge of the stage closest to him caught his eye. Before the figure even came into full view, he knew it was Kendall. And that’s when he knew what Maura had been going to ask him, what the senator was going to say. A hot spike of anger knifed through him along with the realization that the tidal wave was about to hit and he wasn’t sure he was going to survive.
Up until now, the rigors of this campaign had felt surmountable with Ally by his side. He’d allowed Bering, Hannah, Maura, Emily and Iris to make decisions because he’d trusted that each one was in his best interests, or more specifically, the best interests of his campaign. But this was not in his best interests. More to the point, it was not in Ally’s and certainly not in his and Ally’s.
And he knew that Kendall wasn’t doing this for him, not just for him, anyway. She was doing it for herself. She wanted something. Iris was right; she wanted him back. Now that Tag would be spending time in Juneau, rubbing elbows with the elite, she wanted to be by his side.
What would Ally think after Tag had assured her that Kendall was out of his life? Especially after what had happened last night. He’d all but broken up with her. But that wasn’t what he wanted. Not at all. He wanted her even though he knew it couldn’t work. And even though it couldn’t work, he didn’t want to hurt her. Frustration boiled inside him. Finally, he’d fallen in love, but instead of conquering all his problems it had created more.
His gaze homed in on Ally, who was sitting with Iris, Flynn, Hannah, Tate, Gareth, Kyla and Reagan at one of the picnic tables on the periphery. Already, she seemed ingrained in his life, in his family, and he wanted her there. He had no idea how to make this right, how to reconcile the million different directions he felt pulled.
More alarmingly, he had no idea how to stop this avalanche of a problem now barreling down on him.
Ally, look at me…
She shifted in her seat, and Tag was struck with the feeling she could “hear” him but refused to look.
“We’ve been working hard to put the best team in place to lead us to victory next fall. So, you can imagine how honored we are to have this talented lady spearheading this campaign. She’s put her life, her career on hold to lead this charge for Tag. Ladies and gentlemen, I’d like to introduce to you the Tag James for Senator campaign manager, Kendall Meade.”
* * *
AS SENATOR MARSH listed Kendall Meade’s education, accomplishments and qualifications, Ally watched the woman move toward the podium and marveled at how she managed to appear stunningly beautiful, powerful and demure all at the same time in her snug black pencil skirt and tailored pink button-down blouse. And not ridiculous in designer heels. White-blond hair shimmering around her shoulders, she positioned herself behind the podium and claimed ownership of the stage. Her commanding voice soothed the crowd into confident silence as she thanked the senator and Tag’s supporters, and revealed what an honor it was to be chosen to work for the most “honest, honorable and downright sweet” man she’d ever known.
Ally felt like a wolverine had been turned loose inside her gut and was gnawing its way out. She’d told Tag that she understood the campaign had to come first. She’d thought she could handle being number two, at least for a while. But the deal had not included these nonstop Kendall surprises.
And that’s when the realization hit her; he had to have known about this last night. Surely, he had the final say as to who his campaign manager would be. Was all that anger about Shay just a ruse to break up with her gently? Was Kendall the real reason and he hadn’t wanted to tell her? But that didn’t seem to add up. Tag didn’t have it in him to be that cruel, did he? Then again, where this campaign stuff was concerned, all bets seemed to be off. Then there were his angry words about Shay. This was all too…much.
And regardless of Tag’s intentions, she knew one thing: she couldn’t do this. Ally tuned back in to Kendall’s speech.
“Now, it is my great honor to introduce to you the next state senator, and the first from your fabulous little town of Rankins, Tag James.”
Like a game show assistant, Kendall swept her arms toward Tag and stepped to one side. And even though every eye was probably glued to the stunning couple on stage, Ally felt like the entire town of Rankins was staring at her. Or, if not staring, then sneaking glances. Again. Still. Much like they had for the previous weeks. She imagined sympathy, curiosity, pity and a fair amount of glee were in the mix as the town’s “witch doctor” was once again humiliated by Rankins’s golden boy. Afraid that she’d hear it somewhere else, Gareth had reluctantly confided the nickname to Ally when he’d gotten wind of it floating around town.
And just when Ally had begun to think the gossip had died down to a dull roar, that maybe people were even getting used to the idea of the two of them together, Kendall had once again flounced onto the scene. As if to underscore the thought, a camera flashed in her periphery.
Tag gave his speech. When he finished, Kendall went to him, arms out wide. They embraced, she kissed him on the cheek. It was all Ally could do not to crawl under the table. Her lungs burned. She couldn’t swallow because her tongue was a wad of wool in her dry mouth. Even her eyes felt scratchy. Her fingers ached from gripping the bench beneath her.
Beside her, Flynn said, “That’s it. I’m going to kill him. I know he’s your brother, Iris, but—”
Iris interrupted, “You don’t need to worry about it, Flynn, because I’m going to get to him first.”
Ally said nothing, just continued staring blankly at the stage as the crowd erupted in applause.
Flynn whispered, “We’re getting out of here.” He stood, and she felt his strong hand wrap around hers, urging her to her feet. His fingers were warm against her icy skin.
Ally rose, and keeping her close to his side, Flynn slowly threaded their way through the crowd. Iris stuck close to her on the other side. Between Flynn calling out greetings and Iris smiling and waving, there was a lot of commotion, but Ally focused on putting one foot in front of the other as they slowly wended through the crowds.
They almost made it. Ally heard the voice behind her and knew who it was even before Kendall Meade stepped into their path.
“Excuse me?” she asked. “Ally Mowak?”
“Yes.” Ally felt like she was slowly sinking in quicksand.
The woman’s gaze flicked down to Ally’s and Flynn’s still-joined hands, a smirk playing on her lips. Flynn gave Ally’s fingers a reassuring squeeze.
Flattening a flawless hand just below her neck, she said, “I’m Kendall Meade. I understand you’re a…friend of Tag’s?”
“Yes, I am.” The desire to say she was more than that was overwhelming. The fact that she didn’t know if it was true felt like a knife to the heart.
“Huh. I just wanted to introduce myself to the competition. My goodness, you are a cute little thing, aren’t you? I love how your generation is so…casual.”
Ally was pretty sure the thorough eye trip up and down her blue-jeans-and-fleece-clad length was supposed to be intimidating. Ha. All it did was hint at the woman’s own insecurity. And that’s when Ally realized that it wasn’t Kendall she was jealous of, not precisely. It was what she represented. What she couldn’t have. Still, that didn’t mean she cared about Tag any less.
“Competition?”
A practiced laugh followed, and Ally wanted to roll her eyes. “Yes, competition for his time in the coming months. You’re going to have to share him, you know? He’ll be spending a lot of time in my neck of the woods now.”
Ally knew in her soul that this woman would never love Tag the way she did. Okay, maybe she was a little jealous of Kendall. But the fact that Kendall wa
s manipulative and downright mean was what prompted her to say, “Oh, I’m not worried. I’ll be by his side every minute. After that fiasco with the photographer in Juneau, where you held on to him like a desperate barnacle? He’s refused to ever visit there without me again.” The lie rolled off her tongue like blueberry jelly on oven-fresh bread. She spread a dollop of warm, comfortable laughter on top for good measure.
A less perceptive person might have missed the woman’s subtle reaction, but not Ally. Buoyed by the flash of uncertainty in Kendall’s crystal-blue eyes, the muscle ticking in her neck, Ally knew she had Kendall right where she wanted her. And even though she and Tag might be finished, she wasn’t about to let Kendall Meade believe she’d played any part in it.
“Oh, dear…” Screwing her face into a concerned expression, Ally took a step closer. Tilting her head, she lifted a hand and pointed at Kendall’s face. “Right there…on your cheek. It’s hard to tell for sure with all that makeup you’re wearing, but that rough patch on your skin with the discoloration? You should have that checked out.”
Kendall paled and lifted a finger to touch the spot.
“You know what? Never mind. On second thought, it’s probably just an age spot.”
Beside her, Iris snorted with laughter.
Kendall opened her mouth, but no words came out.
Ally said, “We’ve gotta run. But it was nice to meet you, Kendall. See you in Juneau.” Ally tugged Flynn’s hand, and he and a chuckling Iris fell into step beside her as the three of them continued to Ally’s house.
* * *
IF THE SOUND of the alarm from her phone hadn’t been indicating the need for an emergency medical transport, Ally would have been relieved for the distraction. Okay, she was relieved, but her guilt was alleviated by the fact that her concern was far greater.
Flynn offered to drive her to the hospital, so they left Iris at Ally’s house and took off in a hurry. Shifting into rescue mode would take her mind off Tag and give her a purpose. A quick call to dispatch indicated the emergency was in Killebrew and Ally wondered if she knew the patient. As the crow flies, Killebrew wasn’t far from Saltdove.